It’s the time of year when record labels and even bands give away their music. And unlike some shitty piece of clothing one of your relatives might give you, you don’t have to accept the gift if you don’t want to. But here are some gifts I think you’ll want to check out.

CENTURY MEDIA’S CARNIVAL OF SOUNDS II

Century Media is offering a free 16-track download that includes songs from the likes of In Flames, Devin Townsend, Jeff Loomis, Napalm Death, Nachtmystium, Paradise Lost, Iced Earth, Borknagar, Vildhjarta, Stealing Axion, and 7 Horns 7 Eyes. It also includes a track from Geoff Tate, but you could give that one to that cousin you can’t stand. Go HERE to see the full line-up and download the sampler.

PROSTHETIC RECORDS WINTER SAMPLER 2012

Prosthetic Records is also offering a free winter sampler. Their collection consists of 14 songs, including tracks from Skeletonwitch, Hour of Penance, Dew-Scented, Ancient VVisdom, Holy Grail, and Castle. There is also a live recording from a 14-string Venezuelan guitarist named Felix Martin. To see everything in this sampler and get it for free, visit this location.

THE AXIS OF THE UNDERGROUND VOL. 2

The Axis of Metal has assembled a compilation of songs from 27 artists. Most of the bands on this comp are not as well known as most of those included in the two label samplers mentioned above, but there are some names I do recognize and like: Cryptopsy, Mares of Thrace, Eryn Non Dae., Auroch Lich King, Dire Omen, Mortor, Cultfinder, Derelict, Infiltrator, and Seprevation.

This comp can be streamed and downloaded at Bandcamp via this link. If the 250-per-month download limit is exceeded at Bandcamp, then download the compilation in 320k mp3s HERE or HERE.

ART AS CATHARSIS: DEVIL’S KITCHEN 2013

Art As Catharsis Records is an Australian label that’s offering a 19-track comp for download on Bandcamp at the price of pay-what-you-want. The only band whose name I recognize is Mammoth Mammoth, but the comp got a nice write-up at The Church of the Riff. Plus, the music is described as “stoner-punk-death-boogie-sex-rock”. How can you resist that come-on?

To get more details, visit that article linked above at The Church of the Riff, or check out the music directly on Bandcamp HERE.

AND NOW: If you know of any other free gifts of metal floating around out there, please leave a link in a Comment.

Oh, well that explains why you didn’t see the part about you sending me a big stack of money as a gift, and to be clear, I’m not talking about big stacks of yen because I’m pretty sure I can’t buy whisky or goats in Seattle with yen, and besides I think 1,000,000 yen is worth something like $1.50. I haven’t checked the exchange rates, because who has that kind of time? I just kinda feel that’s probably what 1,000,000 yen are worth. So, no yen.

I’m getting the sense that certain people have stopped reading this post after the word “GIFTS”. To be clear, I am NOT giving plane tickets or anything else. Gifts are to be given to ME. Pesos sound like they are worth more than yen, but I think I would rather have 12 cases of rum.